Ashes and Cloves
by The Spork Warrior
Summary: [COMPLETE] Heero's new roommate is odd. By the time they're best friends, Heero's wanting more. But he doesn't realize that there's more to Duo Maxwell than meets the eye.
1. Into the Melting Pot we Go! Part 1 of ?

**Title**: Ashes and Cloves: Into the Melting Pot We Go! Part One of ???   
**Author**: HeeroDuo1x2x1  
**Feedback**: I like feedback! The more, the better! Nice comments are nice, and giraffes that cluck will laugh at flames. Tell me if something doesn't make sense, or if there's a grammar/spelling mistake that messes up part of the story!  
**Disclaimer**: I own very little right now, and, of course, Gundam Wing is not amongst my possessions for the time being. But that's not going to keep me from hoping, right? Right. So, since I'm being forced to write a disclaimer, I will. Don't own, can't afford, NO SUE POOR PERSON! *Nods solemnly, and sighs oddly.*

Nao-chan: Ahh, the scent of shounen ai in the evening! *breathes deeply.* 

Naruku: *shifty eyes Nao-chan.* Yep. Now, the next step of our devious thievious plot to take over the world with yaoi is…. *whisper, whisper* and then…. *quiet, quiet*!

Nao-chan: *squeals* Coooool!! Sounds like fun!! Let me go tell the G-boys!! *runs away and returns with little chibified pilots tied to… objects.* Hey, you guys guess what! *whisper, whisper, quiet, quiet.*

Chibi-Fei: *gets a VERY bad nose bleed.*

Chibi-Duo: *Evil laughter* OOooOOoo!!! Sounds like funeth!

Chibi-Hee: *cute li'l death glare.* Omae o korosu.

_Don't trust the muses! They'll betray you!_

**Warnings/Rating**: 1+2/2+1; PG-13 for language and shounen ai; OOCness, Sudden POV changes and errrr…. Stuff. ENJOY!

The exchange was brief. A slight brush of the shoulders, a moment where their eyes were locked, and following the other with their eyes inconspicuously. It had been the same for the past week, since the new tenant had moved in. The man was fairly mysterious, according to the residents. He had full, long chestnut hair always tied back in a braid, and large and expressive violet-blue eyes. At first, he was mistaken for a woman because of his small, lithe figure and his hair. Some insisted that he was a woman. Others said he was an angel because of his feminine appearance.

But everyone agreed on one thing: He was beautiful. Not handsome, not even gorgeous. Beautiful was the only word that seemed to fit when describing the man. Everyone thought so. They knew nothing of him, not even his name, but they all wanted him to notice them, to talk to them. He didn't. All he saw was one person, the one person who he brushed into every morning. The one person he stared into the eyes of on a daily occasion. He saw this person as what everyone called him. Beautiful.

A cold man with unruly chocolate brown hair and impassive cobalt blue eyes, Heero Yuy was, at one time, the man the girls stalked. He was tall, with chiseled oriental features and a defined face. His expression rarely changed, his eyes rarely strayed from their target. At only 21, he had women swooning over him as much as the violet-eyed tenant. Yet, Heero was thought to be unreachable, unattainable to anyone. He wanted no one.

They always bumped into each other at the same times almost everyday. When Heero locked his door in the morning, the violet-eyed man would be returning from his night-job. When Heero came home, the violet-eyed man would be leaving hastily, usually pulling on a jacket or shoe as he scurried down the hall. 

It happened on a Saturday. The violet-eyed man had been at the apartment complex for only 3 weeks, and he and Heero had yet to truly speak. But, it finally happened that day. They spoke. It was one of those instances that don't happen very often, only when you should be doing something you're not. Heero's apartment, while was usually stocked with non-perishable foods, was completely devoid of any edible substances. Slightly annoyed and irritable that he had to go shopping on a Saturday, he stormed from his apartment and collided with the violet-eyed man. Both fell to the ground, shocked. The violet-eyed man was the first to his feet, and, as if by habit, automatically reached to help Heero up as well.

"Hey, Sorry 'bout that. Didn't mean to bump into you." His voice was melodic tenor, and he smelled of ashes and cloves.

Heero shook his head, not removing his eyes from the man's symmetric face, "We're both in a hurry, it's perfectly reasonable that we collided."

The man grinned, his eyes shining, "Great…! Erm… I know your face, but not your name…"

Heero blinked, realizing quite suddenly that he and the violet-eyed man hadn't really spoke until just that moment, "Heero Yuy."

"I'm Duo! It's fantastic to finally _talk_ to you! I mean, I see you _everyday_ and all we've ever said to each other is 'hi' and 'hn.'" Duo rubbed the back of his head, laughing slightly, "Sorry, I go off on tangents a lot. I'm probably delaying you. Plus, I gotta restock my fridge, anyway."

Heero stared at Duo for a moment, his mind going over a list of ways in which he could shut the man's mouth. No matter how much Heero disliked the idea, the first item on each list he came up with was simple. Grab him, kiss him and grope him. He quickly killed each thought, knowing that you don't make out with people you've just met, even if they were the most beautiful person on earth. Heero smirked inwardly, _'He is.'_

It took a moment, but Duo's words finally sank in. "You're going shopping? That's where I'm headed." Heero, despite the fact that his every neuron, every fiber in his body had never suggested such a thing before, added, "You can tag along with me, if you want."

Duo's eyes lit up. To him, it was amazing. The object of his unhealthy infatuation since he had arrived wanted to go shopping with him. So what if it wasn't glamourous, but it was a start.

And a wonderful start it was. It became a normal event. Every Saturday, they would go shopping together, and then have dinner together. Sometimes they went out, other times they ate over at Heero's or at Duo's. That was the beginning of their friendship, and as most friendships go, it continued to grow with time.

        _Heero's POV _

Saturday. It became, very quickly, my favorite day of the week. We didn't go shopping that Saturday. Instead, we wandered around town. The sunlight spilled over Duo's hair and skin in a display that made him look extremely attractive, and I found myself stealing glances at him as we walked. He wore a simple outfit, a black tank top and black pants, but it accentuated his form so perfectly that he looked like a mythological god. Was I physically attracted to him? You would figure that after being around someone for over a month, you would become used to their appearance. But with Duo, it was like not noticing a great piece of art, because that's what he was. Flawless, a perfect portrait of a god. I noticed every small detail, and I cherished all of him as inconspicuously as possible.  I was, without a doubt, physically attracted to him. Hell, maybe even more than that. 

He made everything interesting. His laughter would fill me, and I'd find myself smiling at his jokes, listening to his voice. He was the only person who could make me smile, and he knew it. I'd only known him for a little over a month, but I already knew more about him than anyone, and I already trusted him more than anyone. He had that effect on me, and I would've gone to the end of the world for him. But I never spoke these sentiments to him; I never even dared for a long time. 

"So, are we eating out or am I cooking?" Duo looked at me with raised eyebrows, and I shrugged, not allowing my thoughts to be displayed on my face or in my eyes. I could tell that he wanted to eat out. His eyes strayed to a small diner on the corner every few moments, and I didn't want to disappoint him because we'd eaten out last weekend. 

"Out. That diner seems fine." I glanced at the diner, seeing Duo's face out of the corner of my eye. He grinned, grabbing hold of my arm and pulling me towards it. It was all I could do not to blush at the contact. His hands, I found, were always quite cool, and sent invisible shivers through me. This time was no different. As he pulled me through the door and released my arm, I found myself wishing he hadn't.  My arm felt bare now, devoid. But, I ignored the feeling efficiently, sitting down at a booth in the corner across from where Duo had sat down. Our knees were touching.

"What kind of diner chit-chat are we going to start today?" Duo asked, an impish look on his face. I didn't like that look much. It frightened me slightly. "Maybe we should start with a subject I find very interesting."

I quirked an eyebrow, still not liking the look on Duo's face, "What would that be?"

"Oh, not much. I'm just moving." The impish grin widened and I gasped in horrour. He couldn't move, I wouldn't let him! He'd only lived in the apartments for two months, and leaving now was out of the question.

I remained collected in my response. "Where to?"

He obviously wasn't expecting me to be calm about it, even though I was screaming on the inside, because he looked taken aback. He shook it off, and grinned, "Guess."

I shrugged, although I wanted to strangle his beautiful crème neck, "Hn."

He rolled his eyes, and leaned forward slightly, our knees pressing against each other more forcefully. His amethyst eyes sparkled in the florescent diner lighting, and his mouth turned up into a crooked grin. "Do you really want to know?"

I followed his lead and leaned in myself. "What do you think?"

Duo leaned back casually and slowly, his mischievous look never faultering. "I'm moving in with you."

Whatever I was expecting, that wasn't it. I had expected him to say that he was moving to another country or something of the like. But not that. I was silent, and he looked disappointed. He must've assumed that I didn't like this idea. But, I thought it was wonderful, magnificent. It was welcomed with open arms. I grabbed his hands in mine and squeezed, a small smile forming on my lips. My cold disposition was melting, and I found myself not really caring. 

"This is wonderful!" I exclaimed, finally letting go of his hands. Duo stared at his hands for a moment before looking up at me and grinning ear to ear. I wished I knew what he was thinking. I loved his smiles. They were always so expressive, so full of life and so very beautiful. He had begun to speak again, but I was more focused on his voice and gesticulations. I never moved my eyes from him.

He finished speaking, and I grunted the affirmative. His question? His bed was going to be the last thing brought into my –our– apartment, and Duo needed someplace to sleep. He and I were going to share a bed. It actually worked out nicely that way, I suppose, although I was saddened that we were only in the bed together on Saturday and Sunday. Duo worked nights at a local café, while I have daytime hours at a large software company. So it was very much as if we both still lived alone. We only really saw each other on weekends and when one left for work. 

**A/N**:_ I'm VERY pleased with how this is coming along, but I need help! I'm not sure if I should have the other characters make an appearance or not. Yay or nay?_

Nao-chan: Which means yes?

_¬_¬ *sighs* Yay._

  Nao-chan: Oh, akay!

**_Next chapter:_**

**Ashes and Cloves: Dinner at the Circus! Part 2**


	2. Dinner at the Diner, Plans for Café Nuit...

**Title**: Ashes and Cloves: Dinner at the Diner, Plans for Café Nuit! Part Two of ???  
**Author**: Heeroduo1x2x1  
**Feedback**: YES!!!! Me likey feedback! Me eat it! *Grins* Feedback is DEFINITELY needed and welcomed!    
**Disclaimer**: Erm…. Regretfully, I don't own it, that is the privilege of the staff: **Masashi Ikeda** (director), **Shukou Murase** (character design),** Kunio Ohkawara** (mechanical design), along with other people and companies I am not remembering the names of. See, not me!! __

**Warnings/Rating**: 1+2/2+1; PG-13 for language and shounen ai (eventually); Probably A LOT of OOCness (*Shrugs* It's hard to write in Heero's perspective…), and use of big words that my mother became immeasurably confused by. *Grins impishly*

**Babble**: Thankies for the reviews!! (Even if it only was 2 people!) Ohh, **Tenshi-Usa**, the description is very fitting! *Blinks* Are they on medication? Also, sorry for the shortness. It will not be permanent. Oh, and I'm EXTREMELY sorry about how long this took. Some of my other fics came first and now one of them is giving me a hard time. *cries*

It was the same thing for weeks. Eventually, Duo got around to moving his bed in and I lost the joy of sharing a bed with him on the weekends. God, how I missed waking up with his right next to me, sometimes with his arm thrown lazily across me. I never said anything about that, and feigned sleep when he would awake to find what he had been doing during the night. His face was quite a sight at those times. His eyes would get very wide and he'd bite his lip, slowly removing his hand as not to "wake" me. He would then rub the back of his head and stare at me for a moment before lying back down and sighing. It was always the same.

I had finally figured out that I was more than physically attracted to him. The realization had hit me like a sledgehammer to the gut. I was in love with the incandescent man called Duo, and I wasn't satisfied with the current situation. I needed to see him more, to talk to him more. As I said, it was as if we both still lived alone. 

So when he told me one Friday morning as I left for work and he came home that he had new working hours, I couldn't help but grab him in a long embrace. Everything felt right in those few moments, _he _felt right in my arms. I hadn't really paid it any attention before, his scent. Like ashes and cloves. It was a very pleasant scent, and one all Duo's own. It encircled me, and I breathed it in eagerly. When I finally released him, I thought that I would see some sign of anger at the longer than necessary hug. But I saw neither anger nor resentment in his eyes or on his face. He didn't seem to even notice.  He didn't seem to notice I was showing much more emotion than I usually did. He didn't notice, or maybe he did and just said nothing. That was like him. 

His new hours made it so he left after me, and got home not long before me. We'd finally be more like roommates, than like strangers living in the same house, anonymous to the other if not only for the weekends. 

The weekend. We had plans to celebrate the new hours. The weekend before we'd eaten out, thus it was my turn to cook. Duo then, knowing from experience that I was lacking in the culinary department, had stated the distinct implication that we go out. Not wanting to poison him with my barely fit for human consumption garbage, I agreed hastily.  We left the apartment at 3 pm, and rather than take the bus, we walked. It was a beautiful day, much unlike it had been that week with all the rain. It was a rather wonderful break in the weather, and Duo was thoroughly enjoying it. He was always a few steps ahead of me, as I was not wavering from my leisurely tread. It was humourous to observe him stop walking to wait for me, and as I became level with him, he would start at my pace, and then speed up again. He beamed at this as well, and we continued at this little game all down the street. He stopped again, and laughing in a very disturbing manner, he slung an arm over my shoulder. My breath caught in my throat for a moment.

"I have an idea!!" He announced loudly, beginning to walk again. He pulled me along with him and I raised an eyebrow in question, my breathing returning to normal. 

"A miracle." I muttered simply, knowing full well he had heard me. This was confirmed when he locked my neck in his arm and held his hand in a way that threatened pain. Immense pain. He grinned widely and released me from his grasp, but left his arm over my shoulder. 

"As I was saying, Mr. Interruption, I have an idea! Since we're celebratin', I'm picking where we're going." His grin widened, "We, my socially unstable friend, are going to my favourite Saturday night party place."

I opened my mouth to argue, knowing full well he meant the Café Nuit, a daring and flashy place that was more of a nightclub then a café. I had been there only once shortly after my 21st birthday, and I had been terrified of the place due to… events that had transpired that night. It was the first and last time that I had ever gotten fall-over drunk. I was told it was very funny watching me make a fool of myself in front of so many people, and the fact that almost all the people were either transvestites or had no respect for the "No groping" sign hanging behind the bar didn't sit well in my mind. So, I wasn't thrilled with the idea. I was not able to argue with Duo, however. He could be very persuasive when he wanted to be, and he always found a way to get me to agree to almost anything. What did he do to keep me from arguing? I walked around with one of his arm socks shoved in my mouth. The red and black cotton tasted exactly like it had the last time he shoved it in my mouth.

He grinned evilly, "You're going and you're not arguing." 

I had to agree. Damn. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I was thankful for one thing that evening as we wandered through town. We weren't going directly to Café Nuit. This, I found, was cause for rejoice as we crossed the park towards the diner we had been to only once before. It had kind of become a symbol of good things, and we only went when something exceptional occurred. We had both agreed this to be so. When we entered, it was very much as it had been the last time we were there, and Duo immediately led the way to the booth we had sat in then as well. Our knees didn't touch this time.  Duo had long since retrieved his arm socks from my mouth, and raised an eyebrow at me. He was smiling faintly, and I gave him a questioning look. He turned his head quickly, and laughed. 

"Have you ever been to Café Nuit?" Duo asked, looking out the window with a leisurely look on his face. 

I nodded, "Once. It was probably the worst experience of my life." 

Duo didn't turn his head, but laughed lightly, his disposition very different than it had been only a few moments before. "How so? It's a great place!"

I cringed inwardly, shaking my head. "Certain aspects were acceptable. The music, for instance, was pretty good. But…"

He smirked as I trailed off, turning to look at me, "You went on a Friday, didn't you?" 

I grunted the affirmative, wondering what that had to do with anything. He leaned back and chuckled to himself, not appearing to be interested in sharing what he found so funny. I didn't quite see the humour in any of it. Duo sighed loudly, obviously sensing to some degree my absolute confusion.

"That's the night that mostly transvestites show up. They have a weekly 'Cross-Dresser Extraordinaire' contest, and it's usually held on Fridays. I was forced to participate by some friends once. It was actually pretty fuckin' funny." 

"Your friends made you cross-dress?" I raised an eyebrow as the words escaped my lips and imagined Duo in a dress. The image left me chuckling to myself. "So, did you win?"

"Nope. I wasn't 'lady-like.' I was cursing people out the entire time, especially Hilde."

"Hilde?"

"The girl who thought I'd make a wonderful transvestite. I used to live with her and her boyfriend across town. They kicked me out when I accidentally set the cat on fire." He stretched his arm over his head lethargically. His arms were mostly bare, since his armsocks were still covered in my saliva from being in my mouth. He wore nothing like the other out-fits I'd seen him wear. He liked the elaborate outfits with spikes and leather and fishnet. It was strange seeing him in nothing more than a plain red tee-shirt and black jeans. He grinned mischievously.

"You set their cat on fire…?" I raised an eyebrow, "Why did you set their cat on fire?"

Duo stared at me for a moment, his face deep in thought. "The cat was giving me dirty looks, and then it jumped on me. So I threw it… and it just happened to land on a candle…"

I don't know if it was wrong of me, but I found this to be extremely amusing. Much like the thought of Duo in drag,  the image of Duo throwing a cat across the room into a candle just appeared in my mind. I actually did laugh at this, and Duo just beamed.

"That cat was evil, I swear. Anyway, Hilde said that her boy-toy, Mike, didn't want me around if I was gonna 'Go all pyromania on  Monsieur Fluffy-Cakes.' Who the fuck names their cat Monsieur Fluffy-Cakes? So they told me to leave. And guess what?"

I stared at him blankly.

"I met you, ya doof!" He grinned at me, and I smiled slightly. That was probably the best thing I'd heard all day. 

"Interesting story, hun." 

It would have been a falsehood to say that both Duo and I didn't jump in shock. The waitress seemed to just appear out of nowhere, and I found myself gapping stupidly at her. Duo chuckled. 

"Thanks, ma'am!" 

She smiled warmly, almost maternally. Her nametag read "Sally." "So, what can I get you kids?"

Duo grinned at her while I leaned back in the booth. His grin was amazing and I found myself warmed slightly by it. "Well, uh… how about some Coke, and uh…"

I chuckled, and Sally glanced at me, her face all smiles as she asked, "Is your boyfriend always like this?"

At first I didn't catch what she had said. When it dawned on me only a moment later, my eyes widened and I opened and closed my mouth a few times stupidly.  My face felt very warm. "B-boyfriend?" My voice made a squeaking sound that hadn't occurred in nearly 9 years, "N-no, he's no—"

Duo laughed and reached across the table to pat my shoulder, "Whoa, Heero! No need to get all stuttery!" He looked to the waitress, "We're not dating, Miss Sally, 'course, this doof wouldn't know even if we were."

I glared lackadaisically at him. However, I was thanking anything and everything that he had saved me from making a fool out of myself. 

I felt the urge to disappear as Sally put her hand to her mouth and giggled. "Oh, I'm sorry! I just assumed. I guess assumptions really are wrong 90% of the time."

A grin spreading across his face, Duo gave Sally the thumbs up, "S'ok!" 

"Well, sorry anyway. So, you want a Coke and what?" Sally smiled lightly at us, and went back to her waitress duties.

"Oh, yeah. A Coke, and a Greek salad with extra stuffed grape leaves![1] This loser wants a Coke and a egg-salad sandwich!" Duo ordered for us and I sighed. I was forced to eat egg salad, but I didn't complain. Rather, I stared off into space as Sally nodded and walked away to do whatever waitresses did. Duo blinked at me, "Hey, Hee-dude, you still alive in there?" 

I stared at him for a moment, nodding my head before looking away, my eyes instead landing on the street outside. Cars sped by, pedestrians walked along, chatting or listening to music, while Duo and I sat in the diner, my silence causing him to be silent also. I glanced at him, my breath catching in my throat for the second time that day at the sight that greeted me. His eyes were focused on me, his hair shining in the window-filtered sunlight as it shone through the window to reflect off his braided hair, which cascaded loosely over one shoulder. Leaning on his right hand, he smiled slightly as he noticed me looking.

"Sooo… That was a little awkward." He broke the silence and snickered quietly. I turned my head to face him.

"It's only awkward if you want it to be," I mused, tilting my head and sighing, "But, yes, that was fairly awkward."

"At least she won't accidentally say that again."

I felt an unexplainable pang in my chest at hearing those words, "Yeah."

Duo raised an eyebrow at me, blinking, "No need to sound so disappointed."

"What?" It was my turn to blink as I functioned what he had said. Had I really voiced my disappointment at it being only an accidental occurrence? I rubbed my eyes, "I'm not disappointed, I'm just slightly… out of it."

He stared at me for a moment, as if sizing the response and I up. I returned his steady gaze with a blank one of my own. He shook his head and grinned, as if shaking off a sour thought, just as Sally returned with our food. I nodded my thanks to her and Duo exclaimed his, his face a wide grin. I was amazed at how quickly his mood could change.

I took a bite out of my egg salad sandwich, "So, what time are we going to head to Café Nuit?"

Duo looked shocked and swallowed his mouthful of stuffed grape leaves, "You mean you're willing to go?! Without me dragging you by the ear?"

I chucked, "Yeah, Duo, I'm willing to go. As long as we don't stay out all night. 3 AM is the latest I'm willing to stay out. Deal?"

He nodded his head rapidly, "Deal!"

His smile lit up the entire room.   

**A/N**: _I know, I know, last chapter said this one was going to be called "Dinner at the Circus," but my mom accidentally deleted that chapter, and I had to start from scratch. Things took a different turn, and here we are! Yay!  I'd really appreciate **REVIEWS**, since they are the only things other than pocky and Mountain Dew that keep me going!! *Shrugs* _

[1] I've made Duo a vegetarian. Deal with it.

Nao-chan: I must warn you… Pico-chan whines. A lot. If you do not want her to whine, REVIEW!! Or offer her pocky. Or both. At the same time? Please?

**_Next Chapter_**_: ****_

**Ashes and Cloves: Enter Nuit, Drunken Spoofs.  Part 3  **


	3. Enter Nuit, Drunken Spoofs! Part 3a of ?

Title: Ashes and Cloves: Enter Nuit, Drunken Spoofs I Part Three of ???

Author: Heeroduo1x2x1

Feedback: Yes…

Disclaimer: Erm.... Regretfully, I don't own it, that is the privilege of the staff: Masashi Ikeda (director), Shukou Murase (character design), Kunio Ohkawara (mechanical design), along with other people and companies I am not remembering the names of. See, not me!!

Warnings/Rating: 12/21; PG-13 for language and shounen ai (eventually); Probably A LOT of OOCness (Shrugs It's hard to write in Heero's perspective...), and use of big words that my mother became immeasurably confused by. Grins impishly

Babble: Well, since it took so long to update this ficcy, I decided to post this chapter and another story at once. I've finally gotten back into this fic, but all my others have died out. I'm considering letting someone else write the last few chapters of "I Want to Touch the Sky" just so it'll get finished. Shrugs Anyway, I'm finally getting somewhere with this one, as I've gotten over the proverbial hump. Getting up to this point has been a real hassle, but this is the chapter where everything has been culminating to! This is one of the last few chapters! Does a little dance I have a layout! A beginning of a forth chapter! Cheers Anyway, read, review, enjoy!

Duo and I entered Café Nuit at sunset. I didn't really understand why it was called a cafe, as it was really an out of the ordinary nightclub located on the outskirts of town. But, unlike most nightclubs, it wasn't really involved in fast tempo dancing. It had only one set of strobe lights located above the main stage and that, when on, placed an eerie red strobe over the gathered crowd. The music was mostly live gigs from local bands, but according to Duo, it also served as a medium sized venue for mainstream rockers, rappers, and DJs. The night I had gone, many garage bands had been playing.

The building the Cafe Nuit was in was huge. It was an old warehouse that had been furnished with black leather couches in the corners of every room, a main stage, two smaller stages in separate rooms, a bar that served any consumable liquid ranging from coffee or Coke to vodka or grain alcohol. A very large dance floor was available for the DJ block and dancing in general, as well as a mosh-pit area for the rock concerts. Duo's favorite section, however, was the arcade. Soundproofed against the others sections of Nuit, it was the perfect place to play Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Freak, Beatmania, and In the Groove. Duo loved to play DDR, and had downloaded every song from 5th mix onto my laptop before burning them onto a CD. I had found this humourous and genuinely enjoyed watching Duo dance around the apartment while listening and singing along to "Butterfly."

His joy at seeing DDR was infectious as he scurried happily towards it shortly after we made our way into the arcade. He immediately latched onto it, rambling happily as he put his coins in and selected a difficulty and a song. I immediately recognized it as "Paranoia Survivor Max," and I smirked against my will. He'd told me that it was the only song he'd never been able to get only perfects on, and that he would, someday, be able to do it. I watched him for a few moments, his eyes focused on the screen as his feet moved swiftly to the correct arrows. I was enthralled by his grace and speed, amazed that the two where not contradictions. I'd always thought of him as slightly clumsy, but watching him play that game made me realize he wasn't just graceful, he was practically floating.

My musing were pulled away when I noticed the small crowd that had formed around us, and sparing one more look at Duo, I pushed myself out of the arcade and towards the bar. I hadn't seen a single transvestite since entering Nuit, and feeling more secure in that knowledge, I wasn't too nervous about being alone. I was going to let Duo bask in the glory drawn in by that small crowd while I stayed away.

I tapped my fingers lightly on the counter to the rhythm of the drummer currently playing on stage. The band was pretty good, and I glanced behind me to see them. The young woman singing couldn't have been much older than 19, but her voice was amazing. I quirked an eyebrow, my mind stating that Duo's singing voice was even better, especially when he wasn't aware anyone was listening.

"Whoa, I recognize you!" I turned at the voice, my eyes focusing on the short haired bartender, a woman only a little older than myself. My eyebrow raised higher.

"Doubt it." I muttered, turning back towards the band.

"No, really! You came in with what's his name... uh, Waffle... or somethin'... shit, I can't remember his name!" the bartender persisted, her eyebrows furrowed together in concentration, "But you got so fall-off-your-ass drunk that your friends had to drag you out over Waffle-man's shoulder!"

"His name is Wufei, not Waffle." I sighed, turning to glance at the bartender. She did look vaguely familiar, but it didn't matter. Duo had just come barreling out of the arcade, his eyes wide in fear. Upon sighting me at the bar, he seemed to relax and came waltzing over. He grinned loosely at me, plopping down on a stool next to me.

"Hey, why'd you go? I was on a role! You missed it! I did PSM[1] perfectly!!" Duo rambled happily, his eyes locked on mine. The bartender had walked away.

I was silent for a moment, not really understanding his statement had included a question, "I guess I'm just not very fond of crowds."

"Oh. Okay then." He turned to the stage, his back leaning against the counter. He looked hurt, and I felt a pang in my chest. My hatred of crowds was beginning to get in the way.

"I'm sorry." I said, my entire being focused on his ethereal face, "I'm claustrophobic, and tight crowds like that make me... skittish. It's not like I wanted to go away..."

He turned towards me, a smile across his face as he waved a nonchalant hand at me, "Really, it's fine, Heero. I completely understand. It's not a big deal. Besides, we can always just go and play again, right?"

I stared at him for a moment before nodding my head, "Right."

At this point the raven haired bartender had returned, carrying in her hands two bottles of what I assumed was beer. She lightly set it down on the counter and grinned, "Hey, Duo."

"Hi, Hilde."

"Hilde?" I blinked, looking at the short haired bartender. This was the woman who had once made Duo cross dress?

Duo looked prepared to cackle, "Yep, this is Hilde, my old roommate, the evil one who kicked me out and made me wear women's clothing." He grinned wildly at her, "Hilders, this is my NEW and MUCH NICER roommate who's never made me wear women's clothing, Heero."

How does someone react to meeting the only person you trust's best friend and old roommate? I had a vague feeling that whatever that response should be, my own personal reaction definitely wasn't appropriate. Most people would have said something witty or humourous, or something remotely intelligent. However, I did none of these things. My mind was running on a simple function: Duo's best friend. That's it. He had said before that they had once lived together, along with her boyfriend. The only positive thing about that was that she and Duo hadn't been romantically involved. To my knowledge, at least. I took a long gulp of the beer before me. Yes, drown conscious thoughts behind a pleasant haze of unawareness. "Pleasure to meet you, Miss Hilde."

She beamed, "Wow, Duo. You found a nice polite one! Do you want me to invite him to my wedding?"

"Doesn't your fiancé think I'm a bad influence or something stupid like that?" Duo laughed and I took another swig of the amber liquid. Drown, drown, drown.

"Of course he does. But you're gonna go anyway! I've known you forever! You not going would be like me not going to your wedding, you moron."

Duo flinched, "Hil, we're not in Massachusetts. I couldn't get married even if I wanted to."

"Riiight. Gay marriage isn't legal here, is it?" Hilde scratched her head, and I jerked to attention. Marriage? Gay marriage? I thought I had heard her wrong, but from the way Duo laughed and nodded his head, I knew I hadn't. I hadn't really thought about whether Duo was homosexual or not. It had never crossed my mind to ask him, or to even consider that maybe he was. However, as I sat there in Cafe Nuit, my eyes staring back an forth between Duo and his friend Hilde, it dawned on me more and more that I had noticed, but that I hadn't put two and two together in order to form the whole picture. But why hadn't he told me? It seemed, that at that moment, I wasn't noticing much. I hadn't even realized I had stood until Duo's hand on my arm and his voice caused me to withdraw from my train of thought.

"N-nani?" I said in the language that came to me more naturally than English. I shook my head and blinked, trying to formulate the question in a way Duo wouldn't stare at me in confusion at,

"What?"

He looked concerned as his voice echoed through my mind, "Where're you going?"

"Nowhere. Just... standing." I didn't know where I was going, why I had bothered to stand up, so I lied, "My legs were starting to fall asleep."

"Oh. Hey, you wanna go and attack the pit for a while? The bands are starting to kick up!" His voice was grounding me. I was coming back down to Earth. He didn't tell me he was gay because he probably thought I'd already figured it out. That had to have been it.

"Uh, yeah. Sure." I rubbed my eyes, and forced a small smile.

"You sure you're all right, Hee-dude?"

"Of course. It's just this place is louder than I'm used to." I rubbed my face nonchalantly. "A lot louder."

Duo's face looked unconvinced, but he dropped it. "Okay. Well, we're free to mosh. You up to it?"

I nodded, and took an extremely long gulp of the amber liquid before me before he proceeded to drag me out into the crowd. I'll admit that I'd only consumed that much alcohol on that dreaded night, and I was beginning to feel a bit muddled. If only I'd known what that meant at the time.

**A/N**: cackles Yeeeessss!! I FINALLY finished part of this chapter! I'm putting it up in 2 parts, since the next part is in Duo's POV, as I have yet to write anything lately from his POV…. grins Anyway, please review! cheers and dances


	4. Enter Nuit, Drunken Spoofs! Part 3b of ?

**Title**: Ashes and Cloves: Enter Nuit, Drunken Spoofs II Part Three of ???

**Author**: Heeroduo1x2x1

**Feedback**: Yes…

**Disclaimer**: Erm.... Regretfully, I don't own it, that is the privilege of the staff: Masashi Ikeda (director), Shukou Murase (character design), Kunio Ohkawara (mechanical design), along with other people and companies I am not remembering the names of. See, not me!!

**Warnings/Rating**: 12; PG-13 for language and shounen ai (eventually); Probably A LOT of OOCness (::Shrugs:: It's hard to write in Heero's perspective...), and use of big words that my mother became immeasurably confused by. ::Grins impishly::

**Babble**: Oooo! I forgot to add the footnote for the last chapter! PSM is an abbreviation for Paranoia Survivor Max, which is one of the hardest (in my opinion) songs in DDR. I thought making Duo like that song would be amusing. I changed my mind about this half of the chapter. It seems writing in Duo's POV will ruin the story, so it must remain in Heero's so I can surprise everyone. Yay!

I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed this story, and hope you all know that I REALLY appreciate it! ::glomps everyone::

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I probably enjoyed the mosh pit the most that night. I was more than a little drunk, and it made the band on stage sound even louder. Duo and I were surrounded by people as we made our way to the edge of the pit, men and women alike shoving and pushing and yelling as others did the same.  Was being moved by the swollen crowd, and I moved against the tide they had created. I was lost in a sea of pushing bodies.

Someone slammed into my side, and I glanced at the offender, Duo's face greeting my vision with a wide grin as he repeated his action, only to be pushed from behind right onto me. In my mild drunken haze, I wrapped by arms around his waist, and we proceeded to wreck havoc amongst the pit together.

I don't know how long we stayed there, but by the time we headed back to the bar, a different band was preparing to get off stage. I all but fell onto my stool, a soft chuckle escaping as I swallowed some of the beer that Duo's friend had placed before us upon our return. I rested my head on my arms and closed my eyes, listening as Duo described our adventure to Hilde. I wasn't really paying attention to the words, just the sound of them. His diction was perfect; I wasn't sure if he'd had anything to drink that night. I realized that they stopped talking and I glanced up, seeing them stare at me.

"What?" I muttered, quirking an eyebrow.

"You feeling okay, buddy?"

"Yeeeeaaaaah. I'm fine." I pointed to the bottle, "Just a tad bit… uhh…"

"Wasted?" Hilde put in and I blinked.

"Is that the right word?" I pondered aloud, grabbing the bottle and examining it. "I've only had two, right?"

I listened to Hilde laugh and Duo stared at her. "Try an entire six-pack. You were gulping those fuckers down!"

I didn't remember drinking that many. I honestly only remembered getting two, but looking at the serious yet amused expression on the woman's face, I knew she told the truth. "I guess I wasn't paying attention."

It explained why I felt more than just a bit uncoordinated, why I felt, as she so casually called it, "wasted."

Duo didn't believe it quite as quickly, "But I've only seen him drink three! Where the hell'd you get six from?"

"When you were in the arcade, dumbass. He looked miserable and was off in his own little world. He wasn't even paying attention to what he was drinking! Could've been rat poison or something." Hilde giggled, patting me on the back. I stiffened at her touch. "Whoa."

Grunting, I put my head back down and yawned, "Hn. I'm tired."

Whether or not that was the reason Duo grabbed me up and waved a curt goodbye to his friend was never known to me, but before I could even comprehend the movement we stood outside Nuit, and I found that I was having trouble standing. I hadn't felt that weak and susceptible since the last time I'd been to that place, and Duo actually had to hold me up. Despite the fact that I was nowhere near as screwed up as last time, my movements were sluggish and we both knew I wouldn't be able to walk back to our apartment unaided.

I'd never actually owned a car, which at that moment I was both thankful for and very annoyed at. Yes, it would have been easier to have gotten back to the apartment if Duo or I had a car, but I doubt I would have been able to drive and I didn't trust Duo to drive anymore than myself. So I suppose that lack of transportation was a good thing, even if it was an inconvenience.

"Duo?"

"Yeah, Heero?"

"I… I think I'm going to puke."

He chuckled, "Well that's a nice image."

If I hadn't been holding back a vast amount of vomit, I would have sneered and glared at him. However, I wasn't able to do this, and all that was recognizable on my face was a very pitiful expression, which caused Duo to almost fall over laughing. He probably would have, if he hadn't been so intent on getting me safely home – and to a toilet. I was so focused on keeping the bile from rising up, that I didn't even notice when we stumbled into our apartment building and onto the lift to our floor. I was thankful that it was in service.

"We're almost back, 'kay?" Duo patted my arm reassuringly as the lift door opened and we stepped off.

"Just open the damned door."

He chuckled as he used his free hand to dig in his pocket for the door key, and I zoned out before hearing the familiar click of the lock right before we stumbled inside. The movement caused the vomit to rise up in my mouth and I swallowed it back down before looking at Duo. I wouldn't make to the bathroom unaided.

"Duo?"

"Hmm?"

"Bathroom." I gagged, "_Now!_"

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A/N: Eek, sorry for the shortness. I'm just trying to get away from this scene now. The next chapter will stray from this scene, and will take place at a later occasion. I know EXACTLY what I want to do with this now, so I just have to get it written. Which may take a while, as I'm moving soon and might not have access to a computer for a while. I'll keep updating Wise Blood as much as possible, and Organic is being updated simultaneously with this. So… I've been busy.

**Hells-angel8**!! I just realized what you were talking about in your review of chapter 2! ::sweatdrops:: "_He stared at me for a moment, as if sizing the response and I up._" I couldn't think of any other way to write that, but it's basically the way that Duo is looking Heero over, trying to figure out the response and Heero at the same time. I does sound kinda awkward, but it's the only phrasing I could think of. Oo


	5. Insane Cashiers Can Be Fun! Part 4 of 4

**Title**: Ashes and Cloves: Insane Cashiers Can Be Fun! Part 4 of 4  
**Author**: Heeroduo1x2x1  
**Feedback**: Pico eats Feedback.  
**Disclaimer**: Don't own it. I just own my little story thingy. X3  
**Warnings/Rating**: 12; T (PG-13) for language and shonen ai; Probably A LOT of OOCness (:Shrugs: It's hard to write in Heero's perspective...), and use of big words that my mother became immeasurably confused by. :Grins impishly:  
**Babble**: OMG! I'm UPDATING! How long has it been? Updated: 8-1-04? Geez, it's taken me… almost a year to update! What The Hell? That's insane! XD Wow. Well, all those who reviewed? You all get magic faerie dust, since you're what persuaded me to pick up the reigns once again:heart:

* * *

The sun was too goddamned perky. My head felt like it was going to split in two, the sun was shining brightly, and Duo was singing his heart out just outside my room. Whether this was a good thing, I couldn't tell you. But it didn't help with my hangover. Oh, I didn't think anything would help with the monstrous migraine caused by the six beers I'd consumed the night before. I think I came to regard that day as a kind of blessing and curse. It was the first time in a while I'd honestly _had fun_ and that thought made the skull pounding hangover worth it. 

However… Duo's singing wasn't. While normally his voice was quite nice, listening to him sing with a headache, added to the fact that he was more or less screaming along with the lyrics, didn't do much for the pounding. I averted my eyes from the window and instead focused them on the ceiling, trying to persuade my limbs to cooperate with me. It was difficult, but I eventually was able to drag myself from the bed and into the hallway. Duo's off-key singing became more pronounced, and I groaned, staggering into the living room to see him head banging along to some rock song or another. I glared at his back.

"Duo…" I growled.

He twirled and blinked, his singing coming to an abrupt halt, "Good morning, grumpy. How's your head?"

My glare intensified, "Pounding. Can you keep it to a dull roar?"

He grinned, "Yeah, sure. D'ya want some aspirin or something?"

"No," I gritted out, "Just want you to be quiet."

"Aww, but where's the fun in that? It's a beautiful day and I'd like to continue singing along with the wonderful CD shoved in your stereo player." He grinned and I swear the sun dulled slightly. It was going to be a long day, and it didn't take a genius to figure that out.

"Whatever. I'm going back to sleep." No matter what I felt for him, sleeping seemed to be ahead of joining him in whatever the hell it was he was doing.

He grinned again, "Fine, fine. Go sleep the day away!"

I turned to head back to my room, giving him a half-hearted thumbs up. I loved interactions like that, and as I plopped back down on my bed, I smiled.

"But I'm not turning off my music!"

Shit.

3 hours later found me able to function and the two of us bored beyond belief. He dug through his things in search of something to do to pass the time. He found Scrabble.

"Hah!" Duo exclaimed as he finished putting the small tiles down on the board. He seemed very pleased with this word, but I just allowed a smirk a triumph.

"Shinigami isn't an English word." I said simply. I leaned back in my chair. "It's not legal."

Duo narrowed his eyes, and hmphed. "Quid's a slang word! But you used that!"

"No, quid isn't slang. It's English. For money. We'd say something like 'I've got 5 bucks.' The British might say, 'I've got a few quid.'"

"Buck is slang! That automatically makes quid slang!" Duo smiled triumphantly, crossing his arms. "Just admit you're wrong!"

I raised an eyebrow. "The queen doesn't use slang." (1)

And on it went for the entire game. I'd put down a word, he'd remark, and vice versa, until I finally gave up and proclaimed him the winner. He grinned and stood up from the table happily, striding into the open kitchen with a superior look on his face. I shook my head and followed him, leaning against the wall by the refrigerator. In honour of my second smashing, Duo had insisted on cooking. I couldn't decide if he was plotting something or not, but I agreed.

"Aren't you full of yourself today?" I asked dryly, my arms crossed as I looked him over. He was wearing a Star Wars tee-shirt, a Finger Eleven beanie, and a pair of pink Hello Kitty pants. No shoes. His hair wasn't in it's usual braid, but was pulled back in a loose ponytail near the nape of his neck. The Hello Kitty pants didn't seem as out of place as one would think, and actually looked interesting on him. As I continued to regard his appearance, he turned to look at me with raised eyebrows and a haughty grin.

"I have all the rights to be! I FINALLY got you drunk AND made you admit defeat!" Duo's eyes seemed to glow, and he turned around to look through the cabinets. He scowled at what he saw. "We have 54 bags of ramen noodles, but we don't have any normal pasta! What's wrong with us? Heero!"

I glanced up at him from my refrigerator rummaging, "What?"

"We're going shopping." He exclaimed, pumping a fist in the air for emphasis. He looked _adorable_ doing that, and the Hello Kitty pants only made it more so.

I shook my head at him, "You're not going out in those pants."

"Huh? What's wrong with them?" He looked down, snatching the pink fabric and examining the perky cat design.

"They're pink and Sanrio. What more of a reason do you need?" I deadpanned, putting a mild glare in the general direction of his pants.

Letting out a sigh, he huffed out of the kitchen, "Fine, I'll put on something else. But the shirt and beanie stay!"

"Whatever." I called after him, heading towards the door where my sneakers sat waiting patiently for the next time I put them on. I honestly didn't mind the Hello Kitty pants. If they had been any colour other than pink, I wouldn't have asked him to change out of them. However, I'd never had brilliant luck with individuals who were fond of the colour and I had thus formed an aversion to it. Once my shoes where tied, Duo had pranced from his room, his pants now simple black jeans. As he neared the door, he reached down and snatched up his derelict Converse and untied the dog-eared laces.

"So, what should we get?"

"I thought you knew."

"Well, I have an idea. I really wanna make chicken lasagne or something like that, but whatever works, ya know?" Duo rambled as he pulled the sneakers on. Glancing up at me, he flashed a brilliant grin.

I gave him a small smile back, enthralled by how his face lit up and made his eyes look so much more pronounced, "If that's what you want, then I don't have a problem."

"Great!"

The grocery store was crowded, but considering that it was a Sunday, I suppose it wasn't that unusual. Duo dragged me through the store, sending me off towards random aisles in order to retrieve as many of the ingredients for his lasagne as possible in one shot. It didn't take us long, but again there was an incident at the check-out where the cashier got this strange glint in her eyes when she saw us.

We were the only people in line, and as she was ringing the groceries up, she continued to glance at us with that look. Duo noticed also, and just blinked at her. He was leaning on my shoulder, and I assumed that was the reason she was sending us strange looks.

"Is there something on my face?" Duo suddenly asked the cashier, and she stopped what she was doing momentarily to blink at us.

"No." She said simply, going back to trying to get the chicken to ring up.

I examined her name tag, "Well, then, Miss Relena, may I ask why you're giving us such strange looks?"

She looked at us as if she'd been caught doing something horrible, "Oh, uh, I was just thinking what a cute couple you make."

Duo sputtered and then laughed. I stared and then stared some more. It never failed, it seemed.

"We're n-"

"Thanks!" Duo exclaimed, grinning widely at the blonde girl. I snapped around and stared at him. He just shrugged. I suppose denying it wasn't really working, considering that this happened at least twice a week.

As we were leaving, I noticed the girl shot us a purely lecherous look. I had the feeling she watched quite a bit of gay porn in her free time, and was extremely pleased with herself.

Duo's lasagne was wonderful, and we ended sitting on the couch watching Fuse after dinner. He kept shooting me looks and grins.

"What is it, Duo?" I asked, sighing and raising an eyebrow at him.

"Huh? Oh, nothin'." He grinned sheepishly, but his expression remained otherwise the same.

"Bullshit."

He blinked and rubbed the back of his head, "I, uh, was just thinking' 'bout all the times people think we're a couple."

"Oh." I didn't quite know where he was going with this, but I had feeling it wasn't anything negative.

"I mean, would it really be so weird if, you know, we were?" He looked quickly away and I blanched slightly. Of all the possible things he could have said, that was something I hadn't expected.

"What exactly are you saying?"

He looked panicked for a moment, quickly looking away and gulping, "I guess I just… Well, I… I'm just sayin' I'd like it if we were a couple. I mean," my face was blank with shock, and my mind was whirling as he continued, "it's just, I really, really like being around you, and I've kind of been… inlovewithyou since I met you and… Oh, god."

I couldn't breathe and he visibly paled at my silence.

"You probably didn't want to hear that, I mean, why would you want to know that your male roommate is in love with you? Ugh, I'm an idiot. Stupid, stupid, stupid! I'm gonna go and shoot myself now. Shit, I completely mess--"

"Shh," Smiling ever-so-slightly, I reached for him across the couch and pressed my mouth to his eagerly, effectively silencing his ramblings as I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him closer. He reacted almost instantly, clutching at me as he took the reigns and pushed me down onto the cushioned armrest. My hands clung to his braid, my lips burning against his. There was an amazing urgency to our kisses, our touches, as if it was all that mattered. And as far as I was concerned, they were all that mattered. Duo's body pressed against mine, our hands and lips searching… it was the only thing in the world, and I never wanted it to end. His scent radiated around me, and he tasted like ashes and cloves.

- **_Owari_**

**A/N**: And… it's done! Wow! I finished a story and updated two others! That's crazy cool! Muwhahaha! So, now that it's done… I have no excuse not to work on Wise Blood and the last bit of Organic, plus some decent one-shots that are longer than 25 paragraphs! Right on! So how's that for an ending? I think this is actually longer than all the other parts. But I dunno. My computer lacks everything except the second half of chapter 3 because I didn't have the handy laptop when I wrote them, so that's the only part I have access to. Yeah. :sweatdrops:

So thanks to all those that reviewed, and I hope you all enjoyed!

**(1)** And that was a Life, or Something Like It reference. I love that movie and couldn't resist making Duo and Heero be all scrabble-playing. :happiness:


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